How to understand the word of jesus “Before Abraham was born, I am!”?


“Before Abraham was born, I am!”?

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“Before Abraham was born, I am!”

Jesus (Peace be upon him) never said the word “I am God” nor “I am the second person in Trinity”, nor “I am human and divine”, but as mentioned before, Jesus clearly said that the Father is the only God , and that He is his God, and that he doesn’t know the hour,…..etc.

Christians usually cite some verses to prove that he is God, but actually when going through these verses, we find that he didn’t say it clearly, rather these are all conclusions made, and by examining them, we find that they don’t really mean what Christians wanted them to mean.

“Before Abraham was born, I am!”

Christians consider this as a proof that Jesus is God because he is eternal. However this language was common in the Bible and it only means that he was in God’s foreknowledge, same as what was told about Jeremiah and Paul:

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew you , and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified you ; I have appointed you a prophet unto the nations.

Ephesian 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:

The context also proves this when he said before:

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad. 57 The Jews therefore said unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was born, I am.

Jesus (Peace be upon him) meant here is that Abraham (Peace be upon him) rejoiced when he knew that Jesus will be from his descendants, and this is clear through the word “when he saw my day”, he didn’t say: ”when he saw me”, this clearly means that he just meant that Abraham knew that he will be raised one day, so he was rejoiced for that day.

The word “I AM” doesn’t claim divinity, anyone can say I am.

The word “ego eimi” if it really meant Jehovah, it wouldn’t have been translated but it would have been written as Jehovah, especially when we see that the same word “ego eimi” used by others as the beggar for example:
John 9:9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”

Is the beggar God? Of course not, but it actually means “I am the Messiah”, and this is very clear in his conversation with Samaritan woman:
John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto you am he.

Another translation writes it that way:
(MKJV) Jesus said to her, I AM, the One speaking to you.
This is a very clear proof that Jesus didn’t mean to Jehovah by this word, and the context can show that as explained above.


2_".Before Abraham was, I am"                                                                  “Jesus said unto them, Verily,verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) This is another quotation which the Christians bring to show the divinity of Jesus.
Christians give reasons that Christ (pbuh) claimed divinity as follows:

A-Jesus existed before Abraham.

B-“I am” is the name of God in the Bible (Exodus 3:14)

Lets analyze both the reasons.

A.-If Jesus (pbuh) existed before Abraham that does not make him God in anyway because even angels existed before Abraham. They existed before the world was created. Does it make them God? No ! Jesus (pbuh) was with God before Abraham (pbuh) , but in what form? Was he like a handsome young man moving around and then God reduced him to a small baby and put him in his mother’s womb? No No ! It means in the knowledge of God we all were there. Jeremiah is said to have been made a Prophet before his birth. The Bible says

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

In Islam, we share somewhat a similar belief. The Quran says

“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful":(Quran 7:172)
Jesus knew he existed before the world was made, but this doesn't prove he was God Almighty. (John 17:5) Many angels also existed before the world was created. (Job 38:7). B-The Christians claim that “I am” is the name of God in the Bible in Exodus 3:14. The verse reads

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)

“Jesus said unto them, Verily,verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, ( I am.)”

If Jesus was claiming divinity here. He should have at least remained consistent in the usage of words. In Exodus 3:14 the word for “I am” is “haw-yaw’ in Hebrew Where as the word in John 8:58 is “Ego Eimi”

This is sufficient to prove that in John 8:58 Jesus did not claim divinity.


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QUESTION : WHY DO YOU ALL SAY ONLY JESUS WAS BEFORE ABRAHAM ?? Here You Go.. Solomon Was Before All Prophets !! 

SOLOMON WAS BEFORE ABRAHAM !!
SOLOMON WAS BEFORE NOAH !!
SOLOMON WAS BEFORE ADAM !!
SOLOMON WAS BEFORE THE EARTH

◄ Proverbs 8:22-31 ►
New International Version
22 “The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,[a][b]
   before his deeds of old;
23 I was formed long ages ago,
   at the very beginning, when the world came to be.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,
   when there were no springs overflowing with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place,
   before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the world or its fields
   or any of the dust of the earth.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,
   when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above
   and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary
   so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30     Then I was constantly[c] at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
   rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world
   and delighting in mankind.

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